Tape end for quick-release zippers



Nov. 10, 1953 R. w. SIMPSON 2,658,251

TAPE END FOR QUICK-RELEASE ZIPPERS Filed Dec. 15, 1951 IN V EN TOR.

Richard W Simpson ,6. Attorney Patented Nov. 10, 1953 TAPE END FOR QUICK-RELEASE ZIPPERS Richard W. Simpson, Cheshire, Conn., assignor to Scovill Manufacturing Company, Waterbury, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application December 15, 1951, Serial N 0. 261,776

1 Claim. 1

This invention is an improved tape end construction for use in connection with slide fasteners or zippers of the quick release type.

During recent years there have come into use, to a limited extent, what are commonly called quick release zippers. They are used in applications where it is desirable to tear the zipper open Without having to move the slider all the way back along the rows of fastener elements or scoops, as they are commonly called in the trade. Such fasteners are useful for example in flying suits and sleeping bags, especially in the event of an emergency, to enable the wearer to get out of the suit or bagas quickly as possible.

In quick release zippers one of the rows of fastener element is longer than the other by about the length of the slider itself and this longer row carries a permanent positive stop. One of these rows is provided with a device which will normally stop or check the movement of the slider so that it does not move beyond the shorter row. In the quick release operation the slider is given an extra pull which moves it over the check device and up against the permanent stop. In this position the shorter stringer can be separated from the slider by Slipping that portion of the stringer immediately above the scoops out of the slider. However, because the corded edge, even without the scoops, cannot normally be pulled through the tape slot of the slider, these cords have been usually cut away from a point close to the endmost fastener element on the shorter stringer. When so cut away the cord ends are likely to fray and allow the fastener elements to come off. To overcome this objection it has been proposed to cut away one of the slider flanges instead of removing the cords but this reduces the emciency and reliability of the slider.

My invention eliminates these objections by compressing the cords and holdin them in such compressed condition by suitable plastic material. Preferably in this compressing operation the cord on one side is moved slightly to the front and the other cord is moved to the rear so that they lie alongside one another. In this manner the fibers of the cords themselves are not broken and the strength of the tape is in no way impaired.

The full nature of this invention along with other objects and various advantages thereof will be more apparent from a consideration of the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a slide fastener embodying the present invention and showing the slider removed a short distance from its normal closed position.

Fig. 2 is a plan View of a section of tape illustrating the preferred form of my invention.

Fig. 2-A is an end View of the same.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the same.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the assembled fasteners showing the slider in section being slipped over the compressed beaded edge of one of the tapes, and

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view of the tape and portion of the slider, the View taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, there is shown a conventional type of slidable fastener including a pair of stringer tapes l0 and II having beaded ledges l2 and I3 to which are attached interengageable fastener elements or scoops I4 and I5 respectively.

A slider I6 which is moved over the rows of scoops to open or close the zipper is of any common form having spaced wings ILeach with an inturned side flange 18. The wings are rigidly connected together at their upper end by a neck [9, the flanges l8 and neck I9 forming a Y-shaped channel 20 through which the scoops pass. As best seen in Fig. 5 this leaves only a narrow slot between the flanges and the normal thickness of the corded edge is such that it cannot pass through this slot.

As noted from the drawing one of the stringers is made longer than the other. In this case the left stringer I0 is the longer and is provided with a permanent and positive top stop 2| at the end of the scoops 14. The row of scoops on the right stringer II is shorter as compared to the left stringer ID, the number of scoops omitted with their interspaces being substantially about the length of the slider I6, so as to permit the slider to move over the empty space when it comes in contact with the stop 2 I.

In practice the slider is brought up to its temporary or normal stop position at about the end of the right stringer where it is checked by any desired checking device to indicate to the operator that the slider has reached the end of the normal closing stroke. There are several devices that can be employed to accomplish this result, typical of such devices being those disclosed in Patents 2,422,091 and 2,422,093, the one herein shown being in the form of a resilient ring 22.

The right tape ll must be removed from the slider laterally so that the fastener can be quickly torn apart. The tapes or stringers are always constructed with a beaded edge, the common type being illustrated in the drawing wherein two cords 23 and 24 are attached to the opposite side of the tape II along one longitudinal edge thereof by stitching 25. This beaded edge of the tape is much thicker than the space between the side flanges of the slider wings but my invention permits the slide to be moved laterally over the beaded edge of said tape. This is accomplished preferably by applying a small amount of. soluble plastic material. such as nylon. to the headed edge. of the right tape ll lust beyond the last element l5 as indicated at 26. The soluble plastic material is allowed to set for a while during which time some of it will penetrate into the fabric material of the beaded edge. I next apply pressure and hat to the. trmted portion of the beaded edge. of the tape and at the same time moving one of the pressuremam bers so as to roll one of the beads relative to the other and dispose them in somewhat staggered relationship as best shown in Figs. 2 and. 3:. One of the cords is displaced laterally beyond the edge. of the tape. The cords. forming, the beaded, portion will consequently be. pressed. into a flattened state with the tape ll, curved therebetween to conform to the natural flattenedstate of the cords. The heated. presser will be held against, the compressed beads for a short period of time tov set the plastic material. The flattened beaded portion of the tape will then permanently retain its flattened state after the presser members have been removed. This flattened portion of the beaded edge of the tape allows the slide It to he slipped thereover thus eliminating. the general practice of cutting out a portion of the slider wing IT or cutting and removing a portion of beads. along the tape edge.

While preferably the cords are made to lie in staggered relation by the pressing operation as shown in the drawing, satisfactory results may also be obtained in some cases by flattening out the cords directly over one another. In this case the cord material is displaced somewhat to 5 either side.

As a result of this invention it will be apparent to those skilled in the. art that I have devised. an improved tape construction for use with quick release sliders that is very simple and cheap in construction and dependable in its use with a slider member.

1 claim:

A quick release zipper comprising two stringera each. having. a row of fastener elements, one row being substantially longer than the other, a permanent stop attached to the stringer having the longer row, a retarding or checking device on one of the rows so as normally to limit the movement of the slider, the tapes of said stringers. having. corded. edges. consisting, of two cords on opposite sides of the tape, the cords beyond the shorter row of elements being displaced laterally relative to one another and compressed to reduce their overall thickness to substantially the thickness of the flat portion of the tape and held in position by means of plastic material.

RICHARD W. SIMPSON.

Nimrber 

